Dota 2

Dota 2 is a 2013 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game by Valve. It is a sequel to Defense of the Ancients, a popular game made by fans for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.

In Dota 2, two teams of five players each try to destroy the other's main building, called the Ancient. Each player controls a unique character, called a hero, and collects points and items to make their hero stronger.

Dota 2 began development in 2009 and was released in July 2013 for Windows, OS X, and Linux. The game is free to play, and players can buy special looks for their heroes but nothing that changes how the game is played. Valve keeps the game updated and offers extra features through a subscription called Dota Plus.

The game has a big world of competitive play, with teams from many countries competing in big tournaments. The most famous of these is called The International, organized by Valve. People watch these matches live in big arenas and also online, with millions of viewers.

Even though Dota 2 can be hard to learn at first, many players love its exciting gameplay and high quality. Since it came out, it has been one of the most played games in the world. The game lets fans create their own game modes and designs, and it has also inspired other games, comics, and an anime series.

Gameplay

See also: Mechanics of multiplayer online battle arena games

Dota 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game. Two teams of five players work together. Their goal is to destroy the other team's big building, called the "Ancient", while protecting their own. Players use real-time strategy controls to move their characters on a single map shown from above.

Each player picks one of 127 playable characters, called "heroes". These heroes look different and have different strengths and weaknesses. Heroes are split into two main roles: cores and supports. Cores get stronger over time and can help the team win. Supports don’t do much fighting but help cores with healing and other skills.

Before the game starts, players choose their heroes in a drafting phase. Once a hero is picked, no one else can pick it. Heroes start with basic attacks and one skill. They can learn more skills as they gain experience level. The most powerful skill is called the "ultimate". Heroes need to be level six to use it.

Heroes have three main traits: strength, intelligence, and agility. These traits affect health, magic points, and speed. If a hero runs out of health points, they leave the game for a short time. Then they return with less gold.

The two teams, Radiant and Dire, start in bases on opposite sides of the map. The map has three paths called "lanes". Towers on these paths defend against enemies. Weak computer-controlled creatures called "creeps" move along the paths and attack enemies. The map is covered in fog of war, so teams can’t see each other unless they are close.

There are also neutral creatures in the jungle area between the lanes. The strongest is Roshan, a boss that gives special items when defeated. Runes appear on the map and give temporary boosts like extra damage or hiding from enemies.

Players can buy items from shops to give their heroes special powers. They get money by defeating enemies and creeps. There are different game types that change how heroes are picked, like random assignments or faster matches. Special events like Halloween and Christmas bring fun themed games.

Development

See also: List of video games derived from mods

The Dota series began in 2003 with Defense of the Ancients (DotA), a mod for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. It was made by a designer named "Eul". Later, a version called DotA: Allstars became very popular.

A person named IceFrog took over the design. By the late 2000s, Defense of the Ancients was popular around the world. Valve, the company behind games like Team Fortress 2, wanted to make a new version of this mod. They worked with IceFrog, and in 2009 he joined Valve to design Dota 2, which was announced a year later.

Valve used the name Dota for their new game. There was some disagreement over who owned the name, but it was settled, and Valve kept the rights. The game kept many ideas from the original mod but used Valve's own technology. Many people from the original mod community helped make Dota 2, along with professional writers and voice actors.

The game was released in 2013 and included features like helping new players, watching others play, and a system for tracking player skill. In 2015, Valve updated the game with new technology, which brought back many players. The game also let players create custom modes and buy special looks for characters.

Release

Dota 2 was shown to the public at Gamescom in 2011 during a big tournament called the International. Valve began inviting players of an older game to test it. The game was meant to fully launch in 2012, but Valve changed their plans. They let everyone talk about the game openly in September 2011.

After almost two years of testing, Dota 2 officially came out on Steam for Windows on July 9, 2013, and later for OS X and Linux. Not all characters from the original game were included at first; they were added later, with the last one arriving in 2016.

In December 2016, Dota 2 got a big update called "The New Journey." This update changed many parts of the game. In 2017, Valve changed the ranked matching system, requiring players to register a unique phone number. They also changed the way players were ranked.

In 2018, Valve began making smaller updates every two weeks. They also introduced a monthly subscription called "Dota Plus," which offered extra features and rewards for players.

Esports

Valve wanted many players from an older game, Defense of the Ancients, to try Dota 2. They held a special tournament at Gamescom in August 2011. This became a big yearly event called The International.

Starting in 2013, the prize money for The International came from players buying special in-game items called "Compendiums." These items gave players cool cosmetics and bonuses. A quarter of the money from selling these Compendiums went to the prize pool.

Major Dota 2 events have analysts who talk about the games before and after they happen. During the games, there are play-by-play and color commentators who explain what’s going on. Most Dota 2 tournaments are shown live on Twitch. Some events are also broadcast on TV in different countries.

Reception

Dota 2 has been very well liked by reviewers and players. Many think it is one of the best video games ever made. Reviewers like its deep gameplay, balance, and rewarding nature. The game’s design, including its user interface, voice acting, and characters, has also been praised.

One common point of discussion is that the game can be hard to learn for new players. Some reviewers said that the game’s community could be unfriendly to newcomers. There have also been concerns about websites that let people bet and gamble on match results, which some feel should be watched more closely. Even with these points, Dota 2 remains a favorite in the MOBA genre, often compared to other popular games like League of Legends and Heroes of the Storm.

Awards

Dota 2 has won many awards and nominations since it came out. It won several awards in 2013, including PC Gamer’s esport game of the year and GameTrailers’ Best PC Game of 2013. IGN gave it awards for Best PC Strategy & Tactics Game, Best PC Multiplayer Game, and People's Choice Award. The game was also nominated for several major awards, including the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences’ Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year and the British Academy Games Awards’ best multiplayer game. It keeps getting recognized in the esports world, winning the award for best MOBA at many award ceremonies.

Legacy

Before Dota 2 was released, it was already very popular. Just a month before it came out, over 330,000 people played it every day on Steam. It was the most played game on Steam for four years, with over one million players at its peak. It stayed at the top until another game, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, became more popular in 2017. Big tournaments for Dota 2 attract millions of viewers, and some schools even teach students how to play.

Because Dota 2 became so popular, the creators made many products with the game’s characters and items, like clothing, toys, and statues. They also worked with other companies to make special items for the game, like computer mice and virtual reality experiences. In 2018, they released a card game called Artifact and added special content from other games into Dota 2.

Valve made a movie called Free to Play in 2014 about the game and its players. They also started a series called True Sight in 2016, showing real players in big tournaments. Valve supports fans who dress up as characters from the game and even holds contests for short films and comics. In 2021, an anime series called Dota: Dragon's Blood started on Netflix.

Scientists have also used Dota 2 to study how computers can learn. They created computer players that got better by practicing. These computer players have even competed against top human players.